Coin operated machine for listening to records



NOV-"12, I957 J. T. FOUFOUNIS 2,812,344

"com OPERATED MACHINE FOR LISTENING TO RECORDS" Filed March 29, 1956 2Sheets-Sheet 1 g 6. g ,/2 g

INVENTOR JEAN THEODOREFOl/ffll/Ms y five-xix AT ORNEYS Nov. 12, 1957 J.'r. FOUFOUNIS 2,812,344

"COIN OPERATED MACHINE FOR LISTENING TO RECORDS Fild March 29, 1956 v r2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATT RNEY c 2,812,844 lc Patented Nov. 12, 1957 CGINOEERATED MACHINE FOR LISTENING TO RECORDS Jean Theodore Foufounis,Paris, France Application March 29, 1956, Serial No. 574,722 Claimspriority, application France April 1, 1955 7 Claims. (Cl. 1946) Coinoperated machines for listening to records as intended for public useinclude generally a stationary coin receiver into which coins areinserted for energizing a stationary selecting board provided with asmany knobs or electric switches and electromagnetic relays orelectromagnets as there are records to be listened to while a sliderreciprocating in register with such series of relays r electromagnetsstops when it meets the movable element of that relay or electromagnetwhich has been actuated by the operator through action on one of saidknobs or electric switches. The mechanism is then locked and the pick-upor record selector rigid with the reciprocating movement of said slideris located in a position such that the operator may listen to the recordselected by him by depressing one of said knobs or electric switches.

Such machines show the drawback of requiring a con siderable number ofrelays or electromagnets which form brittle devices; the cost of thesemachines is therefore high and required an intricate electric wiringwhile they may be easily put out of order and their repair when requiredis a diflicult matter.

My invention has for its object to remove said drawbacks. According to aprimary feature of my invention, 1 associate a single movablecoin-collecting and recordselecting device including the desiredelectromagnetic means the number of which is considerably reduced, witha stationary unit provided with as many slots or channels as there arerecords to be listened to, each of said slots or channels being adaptedto receive a coin which, when inserted, starts operation of the movablecoin-collecting and record-selecting device of which a member engagesthe inserted coin so as to produce a locking of said movablecoin-collecting and record-selecting device in register with the slot orchannel into which the coin has been inserted, whereupon a pick-upcarried by said device is automatically started operating so as to allowthe operator to listen to the selected record which corresponds to saidchannel or slot.

According to a further feature of my invention, the coin when introducedinto the selected channel or slot in the stationary unit closes anelectric circuit, starting the collecting and selecting device byelectrically connecting for instance a metal plate with a tooth of acomb located at the output end of said channel or slot.

According to a still further feature of my invention, the movablecoin-collecting and record-selecting device carries a hook-shapedcollapsible stop which when it is met by the coin engaged in one of thechannels or slots in the stationary unit produces a stoppage of saidcoin-collccting and. record-selecting device while the energization ofan electromagnetic device which shifts said stop into its collapsedposition releases the coin with reference to the cooperating tooth ofthe comb so as to allow said coin to drop into said moving device and toproduce at the same time the electromagnetic release of the arm of thepick-up which was locked hitherto in its opertive position and may nowmove towards the first groove in the selected record, the position ofwhich record corresponds to the channel or slot in the stationary unitinto which the operator has introduced a coin.

Of course, it is necessary in order that the machine may operatenormally that the coin introduced into the channel or slot in thestationary unit may have a size, weight and shape corresponding to thenature of the machine to be considered.

Obviously, the movable coin-collecting and recordselecting device mayeither carry the pick-up arm which stops thus automatically in front ofthe record corresponding to the channel or slot in the stationary unitinto which the coin has been introduced or else it may carry recordtransferring means which transfer in the usual manner the record whichlies in register with the channel or slot.

In my improved machine, the operator or customer has only to introduce acoin into one of the channels or slots in the stationary unit, saidchannel or slot carrying a number corresponding to the number appearingon a list of records available for listening, in register with the titleor the like indication relating to said record.

A single movable coin-collecting and record-selecting device may thusallow obtaining any one of a very large number of musical or the likerecords wherethrough it is no longer necessary to resort to as manyelectromagnetic parts as there may be records.

Generally speaking, and according to my invention, the singlecoin-collecting and record-selecting device may move under control ofany known means in register with all the points at which a coin may beintroduced so as to collect the latter and to control it through anysuitable means, the contact with the coin producing the progression ofthe moving device, the stoppage of the selecting stop rigid with thelatter and the starting of the mechanism of any suitable type foroperating the pick-up or the record transferring means and possibly alsothe dropping of the coin into the moving coin-collecting andrecord-selecting device.

In accompanying drawings, I have illustrated diagrammatically and by nomeans in a binding sense a preferred embodiment of my invention. In saiddrawings:

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic view of the machine with a cross-section of thestationary unit through one of its slots or channels.

Fig. 2 is a view from above of said stationary unit showing saidchannels or slots together with the comb for stopping the coin in itsprogression through the latter.

Fig. 3 shows one of the wiring diagrams which may serve for operatingthe machine.

Turning to Fig. l, the machine illustrated includes a stationary unitpreferably of insulating material inside which are provided a series ofslots or cuts 2 arranged in parallelism and adapted to receiveselectively a coin A. These slots are arranged vertically or at anydesired angle so that the coin introduced into the slot may slide freelyfrom one end of the channel to the other.

These slots 2 are closed laterally by a metal plate 3 which serves onthe one hand for holding laterally the coins during their downwardmovement inside said slot while ensuring furthermore the desiredelectric contact to be described hereinafter.

in register with the end of the slot opposed to that serving for theintroduction of the coin is mounted a metal comb secured to the unit 1and each of the yielding teeth of which is suitably bent so as toregister as shown in Fig. l with the lower end of the corresponding slot2.

Underneath said stationary unit may move over the racks 5 acoin-collecting and record-selecting device 6 carrying at its upper enda hopper '7 for receiving the coins and carrying also an electric motor8 the spindle of which carries a pinion 9 meshing with a toothed wheel10 rigid with a spindle 11 to the end of which are secured pinions 12meshing with the racks 5.

This coin-collecting and record-selecting device carries furthermore anelectromagnet 13 which, when energized, urges in the direction of thearrow F a contact making hook-shaped collapsible stop 14.

When the motors isoperative the entire device 6 moves perpendicularly tothe plane of Fig. 1.

This coin-collecting and record-selecting device carries furthermore thepick-up arm 6 which is pivotally secured to said device at 15 while itstip may engage when operative the first groove in a phonograph record17.

There are in principle as many juxtaposed slots 2 as there are alsojuxtaposed .phonograph records 17 available for listening against theintroduction of a coin into the corresponding slot 2.

The phonograph records 17 may for instance revolve all. round thecentral spindle 17' perpendicular to the plane of Fig. 1 under theaction of any suitable control means, .said records being stacked at ashort distance from one another as provided for instance by shims whichallow said records to remain at equal distances from one another and inregister with the corresponding slots 2.

Any known device may serve for reversing the direction of operation ofthe motor 8 controlling the device 6 at the end of each stroke over theracks 5.

I will now disclose an example of a combination which allows, with suchmultiple slots 2 and a single movable coin-collecting andrecord-selecting device 6 locking, through the introduction of a coininto one of the slots 2, the device 6 in a position exactly in registerwith said slots whereupon the corresponding phonograph record may belistened to.

Turning now as a matter of fact to Fig. 3 of the accompanying drawings,it is apparent that the arm 16 of the pick-up means pivotally secured at15 to the coincollecting and record-selecting device may be locked inits operative position by an electromagnetically operated catch 18against which abuts a projection 19 rigid with said arm 16. This lockedposition of the arm 16 corresponds to the closing of a switch 20wherethrough the metal plate 3 on the stationary unit is grounded.

.Now, if a coin A is introduced into the slot 2 corresponding to therecord 17 which it is desired to listen to, said coin will slide throughthe slot 2 and engages at the end of the latter both the metal plate 3and the corresponding tooth of the comb 4.

The terminals 21 and 22 illustrated in Figs. 1 and 3 connectrespectively the comb 4 and the metal plate 3 with the ends of a gap inany suitable electric circuit. The introduction of a coin A producesthus by this shortcircuiting of the terminals 21 and 22, theenergization of the relay 23, which closes the switch 24. The electriccurrent passes then through a branch circuit including the switch 25which is closed as long as the relay 26 is deenergized so as to feed theelectric motor 8 which starts Operating.

The coin-collecting and record-selecting device 6 moves then over itsracks 5 alongside of the insulated unit 1 until the contact makinghook-shaped collapsible stop 14, carried along with said device 6together with the arm 16 of the pick-up, engages the coin A, theintroduction of which inside the channel 2 has started the motor 8rotating.

The contact between the stop 14 and the coin A energizes now the relay26 whereby the contact blade 27 of said relay opens the switch at 25 soas to stop the motor 8 and consequently the device 6 while it closes ineontradistinction the switch at 28. On the other hand, the other contactblade 29 controlled by the relay 26 and rigid with the blade '27 closesa switch at 30 which provides for the self-energization during a shortertime of the relay 26 under the action of a delayed breakingbimetalliccontact strip 31.

During this delayed energization of the relay 26, the closed switch 28energizes the electromagnet 13 which urges then the coin A in thedirection of the arrow F shown in Fig. l as provided through a shiftingof the stop 14 whereby the tooth on the comb 4 is pushed aside to allowthe coin A to drop into the hopper 7 of the device 6. During the same.delayed energization of the relay 26 the electromagnet is alsoenergized and draws downwardly the catch 18 so as to release theprojection 19 and consequently the pick-up .arm 16; a spring 33 engaginga stationary stop 34 drives then in the direction of the ar row 1 ofFig. 3 said arm 16 to set it in a location above the first groove in therecord 17 corresponding to the slot 2 into which the coin A has beenintroduced.

When, after a few seconds, the bi-metallic strip 31 switches off thefeeding of the relay 26 through the positive terminal of the supply, thecontact blades 29 and 27 controlled by said relay 26 return into theiroriginal position under the action of the return spring 35 for instanceso that the switch 25 closes again. However, the motor 8 is no longerenergized since the relay 23 remains deenergized and the switch 24controlled thereby is open by reason of the fact that the coin A hasdropped out of its slot and no longer provides for energization of saidrelay. At the same time, the arm 16 of the pick-up has dropped in thedirection of the arrow f, so that the switch 20 has opened again underthe action of the spring 36 acting on the blade 37 of said switch.

Whatever may be the principle of operation of the actual pick-up, it isnecessary to return the different parts of the arrangement into theirinoperative positions by returning the arm 16 upwardly into its positionof engagement through the catch 18 as soon as the record 17 has beenplayed.

This return. of the pick-up arm 16 into its inoperative position closesagain the switch 29 and if another coin is now introduced into the sameor into another slot 2 in the unit 1, the arrangement will start asprecedingly and play thesame record 17 or another record as the case maybe.

What I claim is:

1.. A coin-operated machine for the listening of phonograph recordsselected out of a stack of records, comprising a movable device adaptedto collect the coins and to move along ;a predetermined path registeringwith the stack to select a record in the stack, means for controllingthe movement of said device over said predetermined path, a stationaryunit extending over said path and provided with parallel downwardlydirected coin-receiving slotscorresponding to the diiterent recordsavailable for playing, means wherethrough the insertion of a metal coininside the slot corresponding to a selected record to be played andengagement of said coin at the bottom of said slot starts the movementof said device along the stack of records, a member carried by themoving device and adapted to move during the translational movement ofthe latter along a path passing through the locations of the coins atthe bottom of the slots, and means wherethrough the impact of saidmember against a coin engaged at the bottom of any slot in thestationary unit produces the automatic stopping of the movable device,the dropping of the coin out of the slot engaged by it into the movingdevice and the starting of the playing of the corresponding selectedphonograph record.

2. A coin-operated machine for the listening of phonograph recordsselected out of a stack of records, comprising a movable device adaptedto collect the coins and to move along a predetermined path registeringwith the stack to .select a record in the stack, an insulatingstationary unit extending over said predetermined path and provided withparallel downwardly directed coin-receiving slots corresponding to. thedifferent records available for playin a metal plate rigid with thebottom of the slots in the said stationary unit and adapted to beengaged by any coin introduced into a slot and dropping to the bottom ofthe latter, a motor driving the moving device along its predeterminedpath, an electric circuit controlling said motor and including a gap ofwhich one end is connected with the metal plate on the stationary unit,a metal member including a plurality of teeth engaging the bottom endsof the corresponding slots in said unit, said metal member beingconnected with the end of the other gap in the electric circuit, eachtooth being engageable by the coin dropping to the bottom of the slotand engaging the metal plate to provide thus for the closing of the gapin the circuit and energization of the motor, a member carried by themoving device and adapted to move during the translational movement ofthe latter along a path passing through the locations of the coins atthe bottom of the slots, and means wherethrough the impact of saidmember against a coin engaged at the bottom of any slot in thestationary unit produces the automatic stopping of the movable device,the dropping of the coin out of the slot engaged by it into the movingdevice and the starting of the playing of the corresponding selectedphonograph record.

3. A coin-operated machine for the listening of phonograph recordsselected out of a stack of records, comprising a movable device adaptedto collect the coins and to move along a predetermined path registeringwith the stack to select a record in the stack, an insulating stationaryunit extending over said predetermined path and provided with paralleldownwardly directed coin-receiving slots corresponding to the differentrecords available for playing, a metal plate rigid with the bottom ofthe slots in the said stationary unit and adapted to be engaged by anycoin introduced into a slot and dropping to the bottom of the latter, amotor driving the moving device along its predetermined path, anelectric circuit controlling said motor and including a gap of which oneend is connected with the metal plate on the stationary unit, a metalmember including a plurality of teeth engaging the bottom ends of thecorresponding slots in said unit, said metal member being connected withthe end of the other gap in the electric circuit, each tooth beingengageable by the coin dropping to the bottom of the slot and engagingthe metal plate to provide thus for the closing of the gap in thecircuit and energization of the motor, a catch carried by the movingdevice and adapted to move during the translational movement of thelatter along a path passing through the locations of the coins at thebottom of the slots, means wherethrough the impact of said catch againsta coin engaged at the bottom of any slot in the stationary unit producesautomatically the opening of the electric circuit upon impact againstthe coin introduced into one of the slots and located at the bottomthereof, an electromagnet, a circuit energized through the impactbetween the catch and the coin and feeding said electromagnet to urgethe catch away from the bottom of the slot into which a coin has beenintroduced and to release the coin with reference to the correspondingtooth, the coin dropping then into the moving device and breaking themotor circuit, and means wherethrough the impact between the catch andthe coin deenergizes the motor circuit and starts the playing of theselected record.

4. A coin-operated machine for the listening of phonograph recordsselected out of a stack of records, comprising a movable device adaptedto collect the coins and to move along a predetermined path registeringwith the stack to select a record in the stack, an insulating stationaryunit extending over said predetermined path and provided with paralleldownwardly directed coin-receiving slots corresponding to the differentrecords available for playing, a metal plate rigid with the bottom ofthe slots in the said stationary unit and adapted to be engaged by anycoin introduced into a slot and dropping to the bottom of the latter, amotor driving the moving device along its predetermined path, anelectric circuit control- 6 ling said motor and including a gap of whichone end is connected with the metal plate on the stationary unit, ametal member including a plurality of teeth engaging the bottom ends ofthe corresponding slots in said unit, said metal member being connectedwith the end of the other gap in the electric circuit, each tooth beingengageable by the coin dropping to the bottom of the slot and engagingthe metal plate to provide thus for the closing of the gap in thecircuit and energization of the motor, a catch carried by the movingdevice and adapted to move during the translational movement of thelatter along a path passing through the locations of the coins at thebottom of the slots, means wherethrough the impact of said catch againsta coin engaged at the bottom of any slot in the stationary unit producesautomatically the opening of the electric circuit upon impact againstthe coin introduced into one of the slots and located at the bottomthereof, an electromagnet, a circuit energized through the impactbetween the catch and the coin and feeding said electromagnet to urgethe catch away from the bottom of the slot into which a coin has beenintroduced and to release the coin with reference to the correspondingtooth, the coin dropping them into the moving device and breaking themotor circuit, a pick-up arm carried by said movable device, means forlocking said pick-up arm in an inoperative position, electromagneticmeans for releasing said arm when energized, means energizing saidelectromag- ;netic means when the catch is engaged by a coin in a slot,elastic means urging the pick-up arm when released into engagement withthe first groove convolution on the selected record to play the latter.

5. A coin-operated machine for the listening of phonegraph recordsselected out of a stack of records, comprising a movable device adaptedto collect the coins and to move along a predetermined path registeringwith the stack to select a record in the stack, an insulating stationaryunit extending over said predetermined path and provided with paralleldownwardly directed coin-receiving slots corresponding to the differentrecords available for playing, a metal plate rigid with the bottom ofthe slots in the said stationary unit and adapted to be engaged by anycoin introduced into a slot and dropping to the bottom of the latter, amotor driving the moving device along its predetermined path, anelectric circuit controlling said motor and including a gap of which oneend is connected with the metal plate on the stationary unit, a metalmember including a plurality of teeth engaging the bottom ends of thecorresponding slots in said unit, said metal member being connected withthe end of the other gap in the electric circuit, each tooth beingengageable by the coin dropping to the bottom of the slot and engagingthe metal plate to provide thus for the closing of the vgap in thecircuit and energization of the motor, a catch carried by the movingdevice and adapted to move during the translational movement of thelatter along a path passing through the locations of the coins at thebottom of the slots, means wherethrough the impact of said catch againsta coin engaged at the bottom of any slot in the stationary unit producesautomatically the opening of the electric circuit upon impact againstthe coin introduced into one of the slots and located at the bottomthereof, a relay energized through the impact between said catch and thecoin introduced into a slot in the stationary unit, said relay beingadapted to control when energized the breaking of the circuitcontrolling the motor, a delayed bi-metallic strip producing a temporaryselfenergization of the relay, an electromagnet energized through saidrelay to urge the catch away from the bottom of the slot into which acoin has been introduced and to release the coin with reference to thecorresponding tooth, the coin dropping them into the moving device,

and means wherethrough the relay when energized starts the playing ofthe selected record.

6. A coin-operated machine for the listening of phonograph recordsselected out of a stack of records, comprising a movable device adaptedto-collect the coins and to move along a predetermined path registeringwith the stack to select a record in the stack, an insulating stationaryunit extending over said predetermined path and provided with paralleldownwardly directed coin-receiving slots corresponding to the difierentrecords available for playing, a metal plate rigid with the bottom ofthe slots in the said stationary unit and adapted to be engaged by anycoin introduced into a slot and dropping to the bottom of the latter, amotor driving the moving device along its predetermined path, anelectric circuit controlling said motor and including a gap of which oneend is connected with the metal plate on the stationary unit,

" a metal member including a plurality of teeth engaging the bottom endsof the corresponding slots in said unit, said metal member beingconnected with the end of the other gap in the electric circuit, eachtooth being engageable by the coin dropping to the bottom of the slotand engaging the metal plate to provide thus for the closing of the gapin the circuit and energization of the motor, a catch carried by themoving device and adapted to move during the translational movement ofthe latter along a path passing through the locations of the coins atthe bottom of the slots, means wherethrough the impact of said catchagainst a coin engaged at the bottom of any slot in the stationary unitproduces automatically the opening of the electric circuit upon impactagainst the coin introduced into one of the slots and located at thebottom thereof, a relay energized through the impact between said catchand the coin introduced into a slot in the stationary unit, said relaybeing adapted to control when energized the breaking of the circuitcontrolling the motor, a delayed bi-metallic strip producing a temporaryself-energization of the relay, an electromagnet energized through saidrelay to urge the catch away from the bottom of the slot into Which acoin has been introduced and to release the coin With reference to thecorresponding tooth, the coin dropping then into the moving device, apick-up arm carried by said moving device and adapted to assume anoperative and an inoperative position, a bolt locking said pick-up armin its inoperative position, a second electromagnet controlling saidbolt and controlled by the relay and elastic means urging the pick-uparm into its operative position engaging the first groove convolution onthe selected record to be played.

7. A coinroperated machine for the listening of phonograph recordsselected out of a stack of records, comprising a movable device adaptedto collect the coins and to move along a predetermined path registeringwith the stack to select a record in the stack, an insulating stationaryunit extending over said predetermined path and provided with paralleldownwardly directed coin-receiving slots corresponding to the differentrecords available for playing, a metal plate rigid With the bottom ofthe slots in the said stationary unit and adapted to be engaged by anycoin introduced into a slot and dropping to the bottom of the latter, amotor driving the moving device along its predetermined path, anelectric circuit controlling said motor and including a gap of which oneend is connected with the metal plate on the stationary unit, a metalmember including a plurality of teeth engaging the bottom ends of thecorresponding slots in said unit, said metal member being connected withthe end of the other gap in the electric circuit, each tooth beingengageable by the coin dropping to the bottom of the slot and engagingthe metal plate to provide thus for the closing of the gap in thecircuit and energization of the motor, a catch carried by the movingdevice and adapted to move during the translational movement of thelatter.

along a path passing through the locations of the coins at the bottom ofthe slots, means Wherethrough the impact of said catch against a coinengaged at the bottom of any slot in the stationary unit producesautomatically the opening of the electric circuit upon impact againstthe coin introduced into one of the slots and located at the bottomthereof, an electromagnet, a circuit energized through the impactbetween the catch and the coin and feeding said electromagnet to urgethe catch away from the bottom of the slot into which a coin has beenintroduced and to release the coin with reference to the correspondingtooth, the coin dropping then into the moving device, a record shiftingdevice adapted to remove, out of the stack of phonograph records, therecord corresponding to the slot into which a coin has been introducedto bring said record into its playing position and ,means controllinglast mentioned device through the impact between the catch and the coinat the bottom of its slot, the location of the movable device at thismoment defining the record to be removed and played.

No references cited.

